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Steffi Graf - The Greatest Tennis Player ever?

Joseph Galvin
Ballincollig CS, Cork

The Williams sisters have recently become women’s tennis top players, winning virtually every tournament. They won the women’s doubles in Wimbledon; Venus won the singles tournament and, more recently, won Olympic gold. They dominate tennis headlines and have already been touted as the best women tennis players in the world. One question remains, however. Will they ever match the success and skill of Steffi Graf? Steffi is widely regarded as the best tennis player ever. Her outstanding athleticism and sportsmanship have won her fans the world over. She shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement in 1999 at the age of 30. Plagued by injury, she was for the first time finding it difficult to compete. However, the world is unlikely to forget her achievements.

Her father noticed Graf’s talent while she was very young. Her father was an enthusiastic tennis player and Graf would beg him to let her play. He gave in and he quickly noticed her potential. She entered the Sport Schleck Junior Tournament at the age of five. With over 500 competitors it was the largest tennis competition in Europe at the time and Steffi needed special permission to take part. She lost in the first round and left the court in tears. However, she returned and won the competition the next four years in a row. At the age of 11, Steffi won the Orange Bowl in Florida, the unofficial world championship for children and, at the age of 12, won both the European under 12 and under 18 championships. The following year she became the youngest ever tennis player to turn professional at the age of 13. The rest, as they say, is history.

Steffi was number one in the world at the age of 18. She had won every Grand Slam event by 1988 and was number one for an unbelievable 377 weeks. She won 22 Grand Slam events in her career, 2 short of the record 24 - a record held by Margaret Court. However, whereas it took Court 12 years to attain her 24 Grand Slam titles, it only took Graf 10 years to achieve 22.

Quite simply Steffi Graf is the most dominant player in tennis history. She never dropped below number two in the world rankings between early 1986 and mid 1997; a feat never before achieved. While Hingis and the Williams sisters are superb players, I doubt they will ever match Steffi Graf's skill and success.

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